A political tremor of unprecedented scale is reverberating across Senegal and the wider West African sub-region. On Friday, May 22, 2026, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially terminated the mandate of his Prime Minister and political mentor, Ousmane Sonko. This decisive action has led to the immediate dissolution of the government, signaling an abrupt end to the executive partnership that had guided the nation since the transition of April 2024.
Decree n°2026-1128: The official document of separation
The shockwave spread throughout the evening with the release of a significant official document. On Friday, May 22, 2026, the Head of State signed presidential decree number 2026-1128, immediately concluding Ousmane Sonko’s tenure as head of government. To formalize this split, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye meticulously invoked the powers granted by Senegal’s fundamental law, specifically citing articles 42, 43, 53, and 56 of the Constitution.
This legal framework establishes the President of the Republic as the guardian of the Constitution, ensuring the proper functioning of institutions and granting him the discretionary power to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister. Article one of the decree unequivocally states, “The functions of Mr. Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Senegal, are hereby terminated.”
Under Article 2, the implementation is immediate. Through a constitutional cascade effect, the departure of the head of government automatically triggers the resignation of all ministers and secretaries of state. However, the decree specifies that outgoing cabinet members are tasked with managing current affairs until a new ministerial team is appointed.
“Diomaye is Sonko”: The genesis of an unprecedented partnership
To fully grasp the magnitude of this political upheaval, one must recall the uniquely intertwined and almost symbiotic relationship between the two men. Ousmane Sonko, the charismatic leader of the PASTEF party, had forged a fierce opposition against the Macky Sall regime. Confronted by persistent legal challenges and his ultimate disqualification from the presidential race by the Constitutional Council in early 2024, Sonko made a brilliant strategic move.
While both were sharing a prison cell following waves of political arrests, Ousmane Sonko designated his Secretary-General and most loyal lieutenant, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as the substitute candidate for their systemic reform project.
Propelled by the historic slogan “Diomaye is Sonko,” the substitute candidate became the embodiment of popular enthusiasm supporting the party leader. Freed under an amnesty law just days before the election, the two men conducted a lightning campaign, culminating in Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s triumphant first-round victory on March 24, 2024.
Immediately after his swearing-in on April 2, 2024, the newly inaugurated President appointed Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister via decree n°2024-921. This marked a first in African political history, where a political mentor became the institutional subordinate to his own protégé, establishing an unprecedented dual-headed governance structure.
Seeds of discord: From fusion to friction
While the illusion of perfect harmony was maintained for a long time through public statements, the realities of state power quickly exposed the limitations of this two-headed operational model, causing two subtly divergent visions to clash over the months.
On one hand, Ousmane Sonko maintained his identity as a sovereignty theorist and orator, frequently delivering direct and strong statements on international issues, the review of mining and oil contracts, or a potential break with traditional partners. On the other hand, President Faye found himself directly facing the practical realities of macroeconomic management, regional diplomacy, and the absolute need to reassure financial markets.
The initial visible cracks emerged during the governmental reshuffle on September 6, 2025, formalized by the signing of decree n°2025-430, which established the new cabinet composition. Far from easing tensions, this reshuffle highlighted internal power struggles for control over key ministries between the Prime Minister’s early loyalists and technocrats championed by the Head of State.
Ultimately, this political cohabitation between a President holding constitutional legitimacy and a head of government embodying historical popular legitimacy reignited the “kingmaker” complex. This created a highly unstable balance where Ousmane Sonko’s constant influence over presidential decisions eventually brought the fundamental question of true authority at the Republic’s helm to the forefront.
What prospects lie ahead for Senegal?
This dismissal plunges the nation into an entirely unfamiliar political landscape. By fully reclaiming control of the state apparatus through this assertive move, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye definitively frees himself from the moral tutelage of his former leader. He now solely assumes the full scope of his presidential duties.
The major unknown now lies in the stance Ousmane Sonko will adopt. Will the PASTEF leader opt for silence, a gentle separation, or a return to outright opposition, bolstered by his still highly active electoral base? The composition of the next government, anticipated in the coming hours, will provide valuable insights into the new direction President Faye intends to steer his mandate.